Whispering_Jack

Here’s a damning stat if there ever was one. The Dees have scored from just 32.2 per cent of inside 50s this year, which is the worst conversion rate on record. What makes this all the more damning are two things:- (a) this was a problem last year - clearly hasn’t been addressed; and (b) the statistic includes what was a very high rate of conversion for the first 1½ quarters of the game v Carlton in round 2 - without that period the conversion rate overall would be substantially worse. Why are we failing so badly in such a fundamental area of the game?

The selectors have made four changes. The question is whether changes to the team makeup is what’s necessary to end the current losing streak?

True but we’d like to see a definitive list of who the others are who have been left marooned in Melbourne. Once we have that we’ll run with the additional list.

MFC Past & Present Players and Officials Association reports with sadness:- All involved with the Melbourne Football Club were saddened to hear of the death of G N (Mike) Kostos. A part of the club community for over fifty years – particularly through Coterie - Mike filled a number of roles. Chairman of Coterie between 1979 and 1981, he also served as a club director in 1984, and was made a Life Member in 1986. As well as being the club’s No. 1 ticket holder in the early 1990s, Mike was Foundation Hero No. 165, and the recipient of the Ronald Dale Barassi Medal in 2018, both honours acting as testament to his love of the Melbourne Football Club. This was summed up even further when he was a recipient of the OAM in 2016, with the citation reading: ‘For service to the community through a range of sporting organisations.’ No truer word was spoken. We will all miss Mike very much, and offer our sincerest condolences to his wife Loula, his family, and his friends. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, funeral attendance will be confined to family members. The team will be wearing black arm bands on Saturday night in recognition of Mike’s passing.

Fox Sports have had a crack at team selection in this article - AFL Round 6 Team Tips: Tigers scramble to replace SIX stars, Nat Fyfe set for mind-blowing return B: Joel Smith, Steven May, Michael Hibberd HB: James Harmes, Jake Lever, Christian Salem C: Ed Langdon, Clayton Oliver, Adam Tomlinson HF: Mitch Hannan, Tom McDonald, Angus Brayshaw F: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Bayley Fritsch FOLL: Max Gawn, Jake Melksham, Jack Viney I/C: Harley Bennell, Trent Rivers, Kysaiah Pickett, Neville Jetta

If it’s Sunday, we must be playing Richmond

Gold Coast doing a better job at the moment at countering Geelong’s movement of the football than we did last week.

Can’t wait to get the Pies on the G on Queen’s Birthday ... erm, no wait ...

As Americans celebrated the 188th anniversary of their independence, we went down to the lakeside oval to celebrate another Demon victory Round 11, 1964 South Melbourne vs Melbourne Saturday 4 July Venue: Lake Oval Attendance: 10,490 B Crompton Massey Williams HB Anderson Roet Leahy C Dixon H Mann Adams HF Vagg Jacobs Kenneally F Tas Johnson Bourke Zinko Foll Wise Barassi Rov Townsend 19/20 Emselle McLean After a thumping win over the Tigers, the Demons went in as overwhelming favourites against the lowly Swans, but though the home side was vastly outmatched they restricted the damage to 46 points, carried by a purple patch in the second quarter that had them seven points ahead at the main break. It took an eight goal to one third quarter to break the shackles as the Demons were led by their dynamic on ball division of Barassi and Townsend who fed Graeme Jacobs to a tally of five goals. The Demons has now played all teams in the competition and were eyeing the coming return clash with Geelong in the battle for leadership of the competition. South Melbourne 1.2.8 6.8.44 7.10.52 12.11.83 Melbourne 4.7.31 7.9.51 15.14.104 18.21.129 Goals Jacobs 5 Townsend Zinko 3 Vagg 2 Barassi Emselle Tas Johnson Kenneally Leahy Best Barassi Kenneally Townsend Adams H Mann Jacobs Reserves Melbourne 18.10.118 defeated South Melbourne 5.10.40 Goals Carroll Lynch Reinholdt Vearing 3 Robbie 2 Andrew Leitch Lord Slade Best Lynch Rowe Davis Under 19s Melbourne 15.23.113 defeated South Melbourne 8.3.51 Goals Schultz 6 McNabb 3 Marr 2 Jones Pritchard Russell Stone Best Russell Schultz Feldman

THE TEAMS RICHMOND B Nathan Broad David Astbury Dylan Grimes HB Nick Vlastuin Shane Edwards Bachar Houli C Brandon Ellis Dion Prestia Kamdyn McIntosh HF Daniel Rioli Jack Ross Jason Castagna F Jack Riewoldt Tom J Lynch Dustin Martin FOLL Toby Nankervis Josh Caddy Kane Lambert I/C Liam Baker Noah Balta Jack Higgins Sydney Stack EMG Shai Bolton Jack Graham Connor Menadue Ivan Soldo IN Jack Riewoldt OUT Shai Bolton (Omitted) MELBOURNE B Marty Hore Sam Frost Jordan Lewis HB Bayley Fritsch Michael Hibberd Christian Salem C Nathan Jones Jack Viney Jayden Hunt HF James Harmes Sam Weideman Christian Petracca F Alex Neal-Bullen Tom McDonald Jake Melksham FOLL Max Gawn Clayton Oliver Angus Brayshaw I/C Jeff Garlett Jay Lockhart Tim Smith Billy Stretch EMG Declan Keilty Oscar McDonald Tom Sparrow Corey Wagner IN Jeff Garlett Jay Lockhart Alex Neal-Bullen Tim Smith Billy Stretch OUT Neville Jetta (knee) Braydon Preuss (shoulder) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Corey Wagner (omitted) Josh Wagner (omitted)

Will Queensland allow the Swans into their state when they learn about this? Tuberculosis outbreak at St Vincent's Hospital leaves hundreds vulnerable

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Welcome to our first home game in 10½ months. Can we continue our post lockdown winning spree?

The difference being that danger was never a Melbourne player to start with.

On this day in 1964 we were on top of the world Round 10 1964 Melbourne vs Richmond Saturday 27 June Venue: MCG Attendance: 27,614 B Crompton Massey Williams HB Anderson Roet Leahy C Dixon H Mann Adams HF Vagg Jacobs Kenneally F Tas Johnson Bourke Townsend Foll Wise Barassi Rov Emselle 19/20 Carroll Watson The round 10 clash between Melbourne and Richmond saw Norm Smith pitted against his older brother Len in the respective team coaching boxes. Len Smith had suffered a heart attack in early 1964 and further health concerns saw him relinquish the coaching reins at the Tigers early in 1965. This clash saw the younger sibling record the biggest win of his coaching career — by a mammoth 113 points. The Demons applied relentless pressure from the start and never eased up after leading by 27 points at quarter time and 57 points at the main break before passing the 100 point barrier during the final term. Skipper Ron Barassi led from the front with a four goal performance matched by forward Graeme Jacobs in the comprehensive victory that left Melbourne second on the ladder with a huge percentage break on top team Geelong. Wingman Brian Dixon celebrated his election to state parliament for the seat of St Kilda that evening. Melbourne 4.5.29 11.13.79 16.16.112 23.18.156 Richmond 0.2.2 3.4.22 5.7.37 6.7.43 Goals Barassi Jacobs 4 Townsend 4 Emselle 3, Bourke Kenneally Tas Johnson H Mann Vagg Wise Best Barassi Roet Townsend Adams H Mann Jacobs Reserves Melbourne 21.14.140 defeated Richmond 15.7.97 Goals Lord Matthews 4 Lynch Vearing Zinko 3 Andrew Leitch McNabb Witomski Best Matthews Lynch Andrew Under 19s Melbourne 18.14.122 defeated Richmond 9.7.61 Goals Stone 5 Minton-Connell Russell Schultz 3 Jones Marr Osborne Reinholdt Best Marr Feldman Schultz

About a minute before Jeremy Howe’s injury, I was just saying how much we could do with him at Melbourne and how he was far superior to anyone we have in our defence, then ...

No - the next thing that happens is that they’ll play it down or deny it altogether. They won’t be punished because it would be a bad look for the AFL so expect a whitewash.

How many failures on the part of the Bombers in terms of the individual player and the club to adhere to the protocols does it take for the AFL to consider awarding the points to the club that’s the real victim of their breaches? This is particularly so in view of the fact that another of their players broke the rules a week earlier.

Really? How many new cases have there been in the Cardinia Shire in the past week to make it a hot spot?

The game played in Round 2 last year is best forgotten. GEELONG B Jack Henry, Mark Blicavs, Tom Stewart HB Jake Kolodjashnij Harry Taylor Mitch Duncan C Joel Selwood Patrick Dangerfield Jordan Clark HF Luke Dahlhaus Esava Ratugolea Brandan Parfitt F Gary Ablett Tom Hawkins Gary Rohan FOL Rhys Stanley Tim Kelly Tom Atkins I/C Charlie Constanble Sam Menagola Gryan Miers Mark O’Connor EM Ryan Abbott Zach Gurthrie Lachie Henderson Jermaine Jones MELBOURNE B Jay Lockhart Oscar McDonald Neville Jetta HB Jayden Hunt Steven May Nathan Jones C Bayley Fritsch Clayton Oliver Christian Salem HF Alex Neal-Bullen Tom McDonald Jack Viney F Jake Melksham Sam Weideman Christian Petracca FOL Max Gawn James Harmes Angus Brayshaw I/C Sam Frost Michael Hibberd Kade Kolodjashnij Tom Sparrow EM Marty Hore Declan Keilty Braydon Preuss Charlie Spargo IN Kade Kolodjashnij Jay Lockhart Steven May OUT Marty Hore (omitted) Charlie Spargo (omitted) Corey Wagner (omitted)

The logical solution is that in light of Essendon’s inability to field a team in conformity with the AFL’s rules, the 4 points go to the MFC and we move on.

That’s true. It’s in the books of most junior leagues that are under the control of AFL Victoria and applies even where forfeits are due to matters outside of the control of the club involved.

The AFL is not above the Victorian government rules which are that you have to isolate for 14 days if in close contact with someone who tests positive. On that basis, Essendon should be ruled out of Rounds 4 and 5 as well as tomorrow’s postponed game. The consequences are that the fixture for the coming rounds is automatically revised or the Bombers forfeit those games or the season gets cancelled. Feel sorry for McKenna and Essendon but it’s likely that this is not going to be the only isolated incident over the season and a precedent has to be set for the season that’s reasonable for all parties involved.

Suppose he won’t be playing tomorrow but what about the rest of the Essendon team?